Cannot understand the need for anything in that order. I have only 256MB on both a Win98se and a XP Desktop that I do Video Editing without any problems. the only one I upgraded was my XP Laptop to 512MB but it does not make it run any faster. What will speed my Laptop up is a Faster Drive. From 4.200rpm to a 5.400rpm when I get roun to it, will do a lot more than adding ram. You only need that For intensive Graphics work like Photo and Video Editing

One other important point.......Using 2GB of RAM,as I do myself will NOT speed up your game play.

What it can do is make game play smoother in games where large amounts of graphics textures are loaded into memory.With enough RAM you dont get as much swapping to the hard drive which can cause pauses and momentary drops in frame rate(lag).

It is also worth mentioning that you will only get any improvement if you are running at the highest resolutions and settings...and only in a handful of latest games (although that number is rising quickly).

One last think ,donot take for granted that becuase you have read that a partcular MoBo will ake a particular amount of RAM it will or can..Then manual for my 64 bit Foxconn for example at one point states that it has "3 184 pin DDR slots supporting 128/256/512 technology up to 3GB"

That is a quote from the manual.

Now I might not be very bright in my old age but if 512 is the max any one slot can take - I aint gonna get to 3 Gb- what do you reckon?